With One Look
by Sunigirl
Summary: Finally updated! The barriers are coming down and Kakashi's powerless to stop it..[KakaSaku]
1. First Step

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!!

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"I love you."

"I know."

They stared at each other, unblinking, her eyes never leaving his. She waited, breathless, hoping he would say what she wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry."

She blinked. Her heart cracked and suddenly she couldn't bear to look at him. She saw her love and adoration reflected in his eyes. Love and adoration for her, just they way her eyes were shining with emotions for him. But she also saw uncertainty, and then finally, regret. And in that instant, she understood. She knew that he would not allow himself to love her the way that he wanted to.

What could she say now? Now that she had bared her soul to him, now that she had said the words that made the feelings in her heart almost, tangible. Now that there was no way to pretend that she only felt friendship for him. No way or place to hide. She couldn't blame the alcohol, she knew as well as he did that they were never able to become intoxicated senseless. They were always too aware, too logical, too serious. They thought too much, and understood each other too well.

"_But some things have to be said." _Ino's voice came drifting into her mind. _You've been hiding your feelings ever since things between you and Sasuke fell apart. You can't keep lying to yourself Sakura. Don't be afraid. It's so obvious he loves you. It's in the way he looks at you, the way you interact. He's not looking for anyone else, all he can see is you."_

How ironic things were. She felt like she was always chasing after the unattainable men. Always waiting, always watching their backs as they left her behind. She had waited four years before Sasuke had returned. Despite their years apart and all that had happened, things had finally worked for them. They had spent the next four years together before realizing in the end that somehow, the love they had had for each other had changed. It had become the strongest of friendships, but that had also been the curse of their relationship. They had planned their future with each other, but in the end, she was forced to admit, as he had, that their relationship was simply not enough for them to actually be able to make their planned future a reality. Their love just wasn't that type of love anymore. They were best friends, but they weren't each other's soul mates. That elusive but essential element had diminished over time, and its absence had grown more noticeable every day until neither of them could deny it. They were still best friends, for which she was thankful, but despite the relief that had come with their parting, there was a grief which she kept hidden under a façade of smiles and meaningless flirtations. It had taken her a long time to fully let go of Sasuke, but her faith in eternal love had been shaken, and she didn't want to feel the pain that comes with a break up ever again. Hence, she refused to open her heart to anyone and those who ventured too close were soon met with an icy barrier.

Except him. Despite her refusal to date anyone more than twice and her unwillingness to allow herself to be vulnerable, he had snuck into her heart and before she knew it, all she could think about was him. His kindness and warmth, his gentleness tinged with authoritive strength, his intelligence and humour. She loved that she could read him even though his face was always covered with that ridiculous, yet oddly stylish, mask. She loved that Naruto and their friends could be staggeringly, boisterously and drunkenly loud beside them while they conducted their own silent conversation. She loved that she didn't need to spell out everything for him, he completely and utterly understood her. He understood who she was and why she was the way she was. Sometimes, it even felt like he knew her better than she knew herself.

_Aren't you forgetting something?_ Inner Sakura decided to announce her presence.

_What?_

_He's bloody HOT! You can only see one eye and messy grey hair but that man is undeniably…_

_Oh shut up!_ Sakura stopped inner Sakura from proceeding down the gutter. After all, no matter what she hoped and dreamed, he was standing in front of her now, rejecting her. She didn't need to be reminded by memories of countless nights lying awake unable to stop thinking about him.

"Do you love me?" The words slipped from her mouth before she was even aware that she had spoken aloud. The question that had been turned over and over in her head had finally been asked.

"Yes." He replied without hesitation. He didn't need to lie to her and he didn't want to lie to her. He knew she knew exactly what he was thinking, and the reason why he was refusing her. But he had to tell her anyway, certain things had been understood but unspoken for far too long.

"I'm a lot older than you Sakura. I don't want you to spend the best years of your life with an old man who's been through too much to offer you the dreams and energy of guys your age. And conversely, I don't want to play around anymore. If I let myself be with someone, it'll be for the rest of my life. I can't lock you into something so permanent when you're so young. For you, there's an abundance of chances out there, and you still have time to date around and finally find the one you should really be with. But I'm too old for that."

"I know that! But no-one knows what the future holds! How can you be so sure we won't work out? How can you know that we're not meant to be together?" Sakura felt absurd. There was passion and conviction in her words but she knew that Kakashi knew of her lack of faith in eternal love, and trying to convince him of forever when she didn't even believe in it herself? It was almost hypocritical. She knew the truth of his words, but she also knew that she, at this very moment, loved him. She loved him in a way that she had never loved anyone else, and had finally grasped the courage to tell him, when she had never done so to anyone before.

Once again, she stared at him, and he was caught by her eyes blazing with emotions. He stared back at her helplessly, his conflicting emotions evident in his one visible eye.


	2. Waiting

Thanks to all my reviewers! Sorry for the late update, things have been pretty hectic with the Christmas/New Years break and all that jazz...

Anyway, i decided that this will probably be my long story...which will probably eventually tie in with "Ashita" (a ShikaxIno fic i started but which won't be picked up again until early March at the earliest i have my reasons for this)...the rating will probably also eventually be upped....going to go with the flow of the story on this one....

So, please bear with my slow updates and keep reading! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Obviously, don't own Naruto, so don't lawsuit me....

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"Give me some time." He finally managed to say.

She sighed and smiled weakly as she nodded. What more could she ask for really? He hadn't outright rejected her, so there was still a chance right?

"Sakura-chaaaaaan! Kakashi-sensei! Have you seen Hinata?" An obnoxiously loud voice pierced the air. With no small degree of relief, both Sakura and Kakashi turned to face the rapidly approaching Naruto.

"No. You lost her already?" Kakashi teased his blonde haired ex-pupil.

"What?! Of course not! I just thought I'd see if she wanted to have lunch with me, but no-one seems to know where she is." Naruto explained as a faint blush appeared across his face.

Sakura smiled at the obviously love-struck boy. She was so happy for Naruto and Hinata who had recently become a couple. Possibly the cutest couple in Konoha, to be exact. At the same time though, she couldn't help but wish she could also be as happy and in love as they were.

"Maybe she's waiting for you at the ramen stall?" Sakura offered. It wasn't unexpected that the shy Hyuuga would save Naruto the trouble of finding her by simply waiting for him at his usual haunts. That was how they were. No games, just a simple, straightforward and honest relationship. They simply acted the way that they felt and they were so good for each other. Naruto seemed to make Hinata louder and more confident, while Hinata seemed to be the only one who could curb Naruto's more over enthusiastic tendencies and make him notice subtleties.

"Oh! I didn't think of that! See ya later!! I don't want to keep her waiting!" Naruto turned and left almost faster than when he came.

_How cute._ Unconsciously, the same thought crossed the minds of the two people left behind.

"_I don't want to keep her waiting."_ The words echoed in Sakura's mind. How long would she have to wait? She knew Kakashi wasn't the type of person who could be rushed into a decision. He would always reach his own conclusions in his own unhurried pace. That was just how he was. Infuriatingly easy-going and serious at the same time. Speaking of serious, she just realized she was going to be late.

"Kakashi, I've got to go. I'm meeting Neji. I'll catch you around."

"Neji?" Kakashi kept his voice deliberately lazy, but Sakura picked up on the involuntarily half a millisecond hitch in his voice.

_Way to go!_ Inner Sakura cheered.

"Yes. He has something he wants to show me." Sakura also kept her voice deliberately casual.

"Really? He needs a woman's opinion on a wedding ring for Tenten I suppose?" Kakashi knew Sakura had picked up on his slight irregularity.

_Damn! How did he know?_ Inner Sakura shook her fist.

"Probably. Anyway, see you around." Sakura turned to leave so that he would miss the faint blush that she knew was rising from being caught.

But of course, Kakashi being Kakashi didn't miss a single thing. He noticed the faint pink on her face which somehow gave her even more charm. He noticed the way the soft strands of pink hair twirled in the air as she turned, the way her hips swayed and how long her legs were as she walked away. And of course, the image of her huge emerald eyes flickering with a million emotions was burned into his mind.

_How did I get myself into this?_ Kakashi mused as he shook his head, somehow feeling perplexed. Of course, he knew his feelings for her had been growing for quite some time. He just never thought they would ever amount to anything. After all, she was his ex-student. He had known her since she was twelve years old. He had been there for her on her first mission, her training with Tsunade and then her romance and then breakup with Sasuke.

_You love her. She's not twelve anymore Kakashi. She's twenty two. And she wants to be with you. Besides, age has never meant much to a ninja anyway._ The mini devil Kakashi in his mind answered.

_But she used to be my student_! Mini angel Kakashi argued back.

_Used to be! Therefore, not any more!_ Mini devil Kakashi hardly found mini angel Kakashi's argument worth rebutting.

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. Now the voices were talking to him. He was seriously losing his mind. _Shut up._ He commanded quietly in his head, and with a poof, both the mini Kakashis disappeared.

Sakura chewed her lip in consternation. She couldn't believe she had confronted Kakashi with her feelings. It was crazy! And he admitted he loved her! Just thinking about it made her face turn bright red.

"Sakura-san." Neji's cool voice pierced through her consciousness.

"Huh?" Sakura looked up to see a rather amused looking Neji standing in front of her.

"You're in love?" Neji's flatly stated question was more a statement than a question.

Before Sakura could splutter out some sort of plausible or implausible denial as the case may be, Neji followed up with another coolly stated question.

"And he loves you?" Sakura turned an even brighter shade of red.

Neji smirked. "Well, just don't let that impair your judgment of what a perfect ring is."

"If you knew what a perfect ring is, you wouldn't have asked me to tag along now would you?" Sakura had finally found her voice. And her wits.

A twitch appeared on the side of Neji's forehead. "Whatever, let's just get started."

Neji 0, Sakura 1! Inner Sakura gloated.

After a few hours of ring searching, the perfect rings had been short-listed and Neji planned to subtly find out which one Tenten would definitely agree to marry him with.

_Marriage_. Sakura pondered to herself as she walked home. It seemed like such a grown up thing. Hard to believe that her friends were already starting to get married. But that was the thing with being a ninja. Life was too uncertain for them, so if you found the one you loved, you married them almost without a second thought. Of course, it helped that Neji and Tenten had been in love with each other since they had been genin team mates.

_If only Sasuke and I hadn't split, would we have been the next ones to marry?_ Sakura was shaken out of her reverie as she took in a sight right in her line of vision. Naruto and Hinata were kissing gently under a tree, completely lost in their own world. _Of course, this was about the closest to the Hyuuga household that Naruto could kiss Hinata without some member of her clan running out with a kunai threatening to severely hurt or maim him for corrupting the innocent Hyuuga heiress._ She thought to herself wryly_. I wonder if Kakashi would kiss me like that?_ _Somehow he seems like the type to be gentle and slow, but passionate too. _Sakura flushed crimson at that thought and ran the remainder of the way home.


	3. Upping the Tension

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Don't like, don't flame, don't read p

A/N: So sorry for the slow updates! Name any excuse for being busy and thatz probably whatz been keeping me ) Please enjoy & review!

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_What the hell is taking him so damn long? When I agreed to give him time, I didn't expect it to take so long!_ Inner Sakura was fuming. It had been over a week since their confrontation and things had still not been cleared up. On the surface, their relationship was exactly as it had always been. Sakura did not pressure him into giving her his final answer, and he had not taken the initiative to inform her of his thoughts. He was still ridiculously late for everything and they still met every day to train with Naruto and Sasuke. _So does that mean he's just forgotten about it? Maybe he wants to pretend it never happened and ignore it into oblivion?_ Sakura pondered the non answer with a wrinkled brow. _Of course, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. After all, ignoring it into oblivion would mean that she was free from the humiliation that would come from his pending rejection. If he was willing to let it go, so would she. Then they could just carry on as before and nothing would change. She was mature enough to handle that. There!_ Sakura came to this conclusion with a certain amount of pride and entered a nearby dango shop to celebrate the ending of her infatuation with Kakashi. Which lasted exactly, thirty seconds until she realized she had inadvertently seated herself next to him.

"You look happy." Kakashi commented as he looked up from his dirty book.

"Ah." Sakura could not think of any sort of intelligent response giving the screaming Inner Sakura was doing. "Grab him and kiss him!" "No! I am OVER him!" Sakura insisted in her head, "Grab him and kiss him to make sure!" Sakura smacked herself in the head.

Kakashi watched the totally spaced out kuniochi repeatedly smacking her forehead with not a small degree of amusement. "Ano Sakura, is something bothering you?" He asked as he grabbed her wrist and stopped her in mid-smack.

"Something bothering me?" Sakura's voice came out as a squeak. "Of course not, what would be bothering me? I mean, it's not like I've been waiting for your answer for over a week and nothing's happening and so I'm totally over it but Ino and the voices in my head are telling me I should kiss you so...oh my God! I just said that aloud! Dammit!" Sakura would've slapped herself on the forehead again had Kakashi released his hold on her wrist. Which he hadn't. And which he looked unlikely to do so anytime in the immediate future.

"So that's what's been bothering you? Well, you know something?" Using his hold on her wrist, Kakashi pulled her closer to him just as he moved closer to her ear and whispered. "I do love you Sakura. I just need a few more days to be sure that things will work between us. Just a few more days ok? And then maybe you can kiss me all you like. In fact, I would probably be willing to perhaps, try different types and places of kissing. And of course, there are many other things we could do after kissing…" He leaned back with the satisfied grin of a Cheshire cat as he let go of her and watched her face turn tomato red.

"Kakashi!" Sakura screamed as she slapped the back of his head. Inner Sakura had already passed out from the sheer sexiness of the situation. Her heart was still pounding from the way his hand touched her wrist and his breath on her ear.

"Oh look at the time! Gotta go!" Kakashi made a hasty escape and disappeared with a poof.

"Liar! You don't even OWN a watch!" Sakura shook her fist and yelled at his fast dissipating smoke. Letting out a last irritated "hmph!", she turned back to her dango, but unfortunately, not quickly enough to miss the shocked and curious stares of all the other customers in the store. Oh, and the stares of the people who had momentarily frozen in front of the store's entrance. "DAMMIT!" Inner Sakura yelled in her head. Wearily, Sakura lifted her hand and asked for the bill from the terrified looking waitress. "Ano, I'm terribly sorry, but the man that just left, he, ah, he's well, taken care of the bill already." The waitress dashed away as quickly as possible as Sakura pushed her plate and tea aside and started banging her head on the wooden table.

"Whew! That was close!" Kakashi had actually not gone very far. In fact, to be precise, he was standing by the door of the dango shop, just hidden from view and had therefore had the pleasure of witnessing Sakura's outbursts. Though maybe he should really stop her from smacking the table with her (now perfectly sized) forehead.

"SAKURA!" Ino came hurtling into the dango shop and stopped Sakura's head from connecting with the table yet again. "What the hell are you DOING? I could hear you from the end of the street!" Sakura looked up blankly at Ino. Ino let go of Sakura's shoulder as she carefully examined her pink-haired best friend's face. "Is it Kakashi?" Ino winced as said pink-haired best friend's head slumped to connect with the table again.

Kakashi sighed and walked towards the forest. Why was it just so difficult? She had already confessed her feelings to him, and obviously he was in love with her. They weren't in a student-teacher relationship anymore, in fact, they had been equal team mates for quite some time. He knew her better than anyone else, just as she was closer to his heart than any other woman had ever been. So, what was the problem? _You're just scared Kakashi._ Little mini angel Kakashi had appeared again. _You know you believe that she just might be the one you've waited your whole life for and that scares you. Because you don't ever want to lose her just like you lost everyone else._ Kakashi was interrupted from his thoughts by two voices in the clearing.

"So you're going to ask her tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight will be perfect." The deep calm voice of Hyuuga Neji sounded suspiciously happy.

"It''s so wonderful! Who would've thought my genin team mates would wind up married! It's beautiful! Gai-sensei will be so proud! Can I be the best man? What are you planning on naming the children?" As usual, Rock Lee was unable to curb his enthusiasm. However this time, Neji made no sarcastic attempt to shut Lee up.

"Yes you can be best man, and the names depend on what Tenten wants. And I think I knew all along that she would be the one."

"It's so perfect! You are my worthy rival and best friend! I couldn't suggest anyone better to be your wife! She's strong! You won't be able to push her around. And you won't have to worry about her when you're away, or she's away on missions either!"

"I think I'll always worry about her. I know she's strong, possibly the strongest kunoichi I know, but I never want her to be away from me. I feel safer when she's on missions with me, and I don't worry about her if I can be by her side."

"Who knew you could be such a romantic! I promise that when I fall in love, I will be twice the romantic that you are! Or else I will walk on one hand around the entire village 1000 times to proclaim my love to her! Ow!"

"Shut up." The snobby exterior had returned.

_I could lose her even if things stay just as they are. Do I want to have the regret of depriving both of us of openly sharing the feelings between us?_ Kakashi pondered as he walked away. _I need my book._


	4. Romantic Interlude

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!

A/N: Sorry for the slow updates…don't really know how to pass the time between events without being completely and utterly boring…so this is a little filler while the days pass and tension builds for Sakura and Kakashi…please enjoy this short little interlude featuring my second favourite couple – Neji & Tenten!

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Tenten took a deep breath, checked again that the weapons she held were in perfect attack position and within a blink of an eye, had leapt from the branch and launched his weapons into the air with her eyes firmly locked on her target.

The air was filled with flying projectiles and the sounds of metallic clinks and solid thuds as the weapons were deflected and embedded into the ground. Hah! Tenten's sharp eyes spotted a tiny opening. Not much of one, but it was enough. Simultaneously throwing a smoke bomb and two scrolls, the Hyuuga's eyes were blinded for less than a split second and that was all Tenten needed to tackle him to the ground.

"Hi." Tenten greeted Neji with a brilliant smile as she leaned down to kiss him hello. Neji's lips curved as her lips touched his in a tender kiss, a welcome in total contrast to its prelude. "You know…" Neji began as she lifted her head from his, "we could always just start our dates with this, rather than with a welcoming shower of sharp pointy things aimed at my head." Tenten smirked. "But this is so much more fun, don't you think, Neji-kun?" The slightly drawn out and infinitely seductive way Tenten purred his name made Neji's heart skip another beat. He remembered the first time he asked Tenten out on a date.

_Flashback _

_Tenten had been seconds away from throwing kunai at him when he had suddenly disappeared in a poof of smoke and appeared right next to her on the tree branch. She had jerked violently in surprise at his re-appearing next to her and instinctively launched all the weapons in her hand at him. Neji had been so distracted thinking about whether or not and how to actually ask her out that he hadn't anticipated such an attack. In his surprise, he had ended up falling off the branch to avoid the kunai. However, still set on asking her out and being more than vaguely dazed, he had screamed out his request on his way down. He had been seconds away from slamming his head into the ground when Tenten caught him. "What were you just screaming Neji?" "Screaming? I don't scream. You're beautiful. Go out with me?" Tenten's shining eyes was all the answer he needed. _

BACK TO PRESENT

"I think you're beautiful." Neji brought Tenten's face closer to his.

"And I think you're smart." Neji tucked a lock of hair falling on her cheek behind her ear.

"And I think you're strong." Neji's hand trailed from her ear to her back, pressing her firmly against him.

"And I think I want you with me for the rest of my life." Neji kissed her tenderly.

Tenten's mind was whirling. _What was he saying?_ Neji was naturally stoic and while he did soften up around her, it was extremely unusual for him to proclaim such romantic things so unguardedly._ Oooh_…her mind was going hazy as he rolled them both over and his kisses became fiery and possessive.

"Neji." Tenten moaned into his mouth dreamily as her arms circled his neck. Neji smiled and before she knew it, he had sprung onto his feet with her cradled in his arms, their lips never parting. Even in his preoccupied state, Neji knew exactly where to go. She didn't care where he was taking her as long as he wasn't going to stop kissing her once they got there.

_Damn. He had stopped._ The sudden halt caused Tenten to become instantly wary and she immediately looked around to find its cause. Nope, no attacker in those bushes, probability of one hanging off that cliff extremely low, doesn't look like anything suspicious on those trees, highly unlikely that that huge area of flowers were poisonous_. Wow, this place is beautiful._

"Neji?" Tenten questioned as he set her down. He smirked as he saw the defensive pose she struck, with her eyes still sharp and clearly on alert for something hostile. "Relax, I just wanted to bring you here."

"Oh". Tenten relaxed immediately and wrapped her arms around Neji's waist. "You stopped so suddenly I thought it was something else."

"Nope, I just wanted my most precious person to share my favourite spot with."

"Neji?"

"Yes?"

"Did you do something you think I'm not going to like?"

"WHAT?"

"I mean, it's ok if you did, you just need to tell me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Because you're not normally this expressive and you're kind of scaring me. So if there is something you need to tell me, then I'm listening. And I throw sharp pointy things at your head all the time and you never get hurt, so you don't really have anything to worry about."

Neji looked at Tenten incredulously before bursting into laughter.

"OK! Now you're really scaring me! What happened? I can take anything! Just tell me!"

"I love you Tenten! I really do!"

"There's a "but" isn't there! Stop laughing! What's the but?" Tenten was growing defensive again and on verge of reaching for her weapons, fully convinced that Neji had either done something absolutely terrible or that he was going insane. Neither were comforting options. Tenten started stealthily backing out of Neji's arms, completely terrified. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by the Hyuuga prodigy who then locked his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him, laughing into her shoulder.

His laughter subsiding, he pulled back just enough to stare into Tenten's eyes. And just like that, the growing hysteria in Tenten vanished into thin air. She was mesmerized as always by his eyes, by the calm, tender loving expression he had in his eyes that she knew was just for her. As they stared at one another, the love in their eyes was like a visible chakra, one that Tenten didn't need byakugan to see.

Neji saw the hysteria in her eyes be replaced by a content and peaceful gaze. _Kami-sama, how much I love her_. With her in his arms, he felt complete and secure. He knew she would never leave him, not out of obligation and duty, the words that he had always hated, but because he knew she would love him more with every passing day and that she would never stop. She was completely and utterly his, just as he was completely and utterly hers.

"Tenten, I mean it. I love you. I adore you with every fibre of my being and the only type of fate or destiny that I believe in is that we were meant to be together. If I were a bird, I would go back into the cage you own every day just so that I could be with you. You complete me, and I don't ever want to be away from you. Will you marry me?"

Tenten stared at him wordlessly. Horror started running through Neji's mind. He was sure she loved him just as much as he loved her. _But did she not want to marry him? Why wouldn't she marry him? It was the bleak prospect of marrying into the branch house of the Hyuuga clan wasn't it? Dammit! Would his rotten family background ever stop tormenting him?_

Tenten started to cry. _Oh shit. Looks like something else was deciding to torment him._

"Please don't cry." Neji's voice was flat, but an underlying note of tension bordering on panic could be spotted. _Why on earth would Tenten start crying? Tenten never cried. Ever. Neji started flipping through his ten years of memories with Tenten to confirm that fact. Yup, confirmed. Tenten NEVER cried._

"Yes." The word was a whisper.

"Don't just say yes, just stop crying." Neji's irritated tone hid the panic he felt.

"Neji, yes!" Tenten was now a bit perturbed. First Neji was being so romantic she was convinced he had done something unforgivable to her or was losing his mind, then he proposed, and now he sounded cold and angry when she agreed. _Did he not want to marry her? Then why did he ask? Was it just out of some warped Hyuuga obligation? That the time was right for a marriage and she was conveniently in the right place at the right time?_

"Look, I know it's shameful to be part of the branch family, but really, being a Hyuuga isn't that bad, and Hinata's changing that split anyway, and really Tenten! I never thought you would care about that!" Neji's panic had surfaced. He really wanted to marry her!

_Ah. It all became clear. He thought she was rejecting him._ Now it was Tenten's turn to smirk through her tears as she slowly spoke. "You're crazy! You know I don't care about that. Listen to me carefully. Neji. Yes. I would be honoured to marry you. Yes, yes, yes! I'm saying yes to your proposal Hyuuga Neji! We're going to get married!"

Tenten flung her arms around his neck and kissed the dazed Neji so passionately and forcefully that he fell on his back with her on top of him. Some time later, Neji pulled back and started snickering. "Lee's going to be my best man. Think I can convince him that a tight green bodysuit is inappropriate for a Hyuuga wedding?" Tenten burst out laughing. "Maybe we should have that shade of green as the central colour of our wedding. You know, you could probably pull off a green tuxedo!" "Yea, the second someone actually manages to get it on me in the first place." Tenten giggled at the thought of an extremely irate Neji tugging at a bright green tuxedo yelling "get it off! Get it off!" as Gai-sensei and Lee stood around hugging each other and crying.

Tenten and Neji's smiling lips met gracefully in a gentle kiss. They were getting married.

_author's end notes_

Since I'm up to an interlude, just thought I'd extend my thanks and appreciation to **hatakesakura, KKSlover4ever, Blackie, cuito, allyluv, esther, saskia2, xLindsayx, asnwater, Only Secret, heil, cruisegirl86 and Dinkles & Shakos** who have reviewed…I'm really grateful and hope that you continue to let me know your thoughts and feelings on this fic! Yoroshiku ne!


	5. The Curse of Unforgotten Memories

_Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue! _

TAKESSOLONGTOWRITEANYTHINGEVENVAGUELYWORTHREADINGANDEVENTHENIHAVEMYDOUBTS…………..

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Like countless other times before, Kakashi stood in the rain staring at the centograph. Staring at the names engraved in the stone, thinking of times that had passed, of people no longer present. As always, the guilt and grief washed over him, sorrow that his name was not among those engraved in the stone like so many of his comrades.

"Rin, Obito, why am I standing here looking at your names instead of your faces? I used to think both you would always be watching my back and now, ironically, I'm the one that's been left behind. I sometimes thought, after both of you left me, that if I could've given my life for both of yours, I would've. Of course, I didn't realize that until too late, I never saw your worth until too late. It always seemed that both of you had so much more to live for than me. Both of you were happy to be alive.

All along, I've just been doing my duty and waiting for death. My duty. You know, the day I finally passed a genin team, I felt a spark of hope that maybe I could do things again. Like I'd been given a second chance to appreciate my teammates. I guess I got that. Though Sasuke didn't have the warmth you did Obito, Sasuke ended up being cold like I was. I guess that's what family history does to you. It scars you and eats away at the chances you get to heal. He came back though, a bit broken, a bit battered, but still somehow the good comrade Naruto and Sakura believed him to be. That faith, I wish I had it when both of you were alive. I wish I'd seen you as the teammates you were and not just extra burdens.

Naruto's going to be promoted to Hokage soon. Isn't that funny? That some ridiculously noisy, hyperactive, mouthy kid I once trained is going to be Hokage. Bet you wish you were alive to see that. I guess I did something right, somehow. But they were all good kids to start with.

I feel old seeing them so grown up. I see them with all their friends and I feel envious that that isn't us. There's only silence whenever we meet up now. There's laughter or shouting or battle cries when those kids are together, but never silence. Not the type of silence we have now. No matter who they become, that group is bound together, with joy and not grief. It sounds so ridiculous coming from me, but I don't want to intrude on that. I'm still seen as their teacher, not their equal. To be with Sakura, I still don't know if it's right. Is it right? Is it wrong?

I taught her when she was twelve. I don't know if anybody's going to forget that. I should've stepped away from her instead of letting her become so close to me. But as stupid as it sounds, I didn't even realize how close she had become until it was too late. Just like with you both.

Obito, Rin, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how important you were to me until it was too late. And so I stand here every day trying to make amends. Hoping that somehow it's enough when I know that it'll never be. Hoping that you will forgive me for not appreciating your worth until too late, for not treating you both with the friendship that you offered me, for being the one with a second chance when yours were stolen. Forgive me."

Kakashi stopped and stood silently staring at the centograph as the rain drenched him. He was startled out of his musings by a pair of slender arms wrapping around his waist. He would have attacked in his surprise had he not instantly recognized the faintest whiff of his assailant's shampoo. _Sakura._ Kakashi mentally smacked himself in the head. Since when had he become so careless that he hadn't even noticed her sneaking up on him?

Noticing that Kakashi's sudden tenseness was not melting away, Sakura buried her face in his back and hoped he wasn't angry that she had snuck up on him. The thing was, she had been walking by the centograph when she had seen him standing there looking lost and muttering as though someone was there. Out of curiosity, she had eavesdropped and by the time she had realized how private the conversation was, she was unable to leave him in his solitary forlornness.

"Kakashi. Give us a chance." Sakura couldn't bear this stony silence any longer. "Let me share the burden of your ghosts. I'm not a weak little child, let me support you. They would've wanted you to be happy."

"You don't know what they would've wanted. You don't know them. And you barely even know me." Kakashi's curt response came lazily without a second's pause and pierced through Sakura's heart. He sounded so casual, so matter of fact that Sakura was taken aback.

Kakashi felt Sakura stiffen at his harsh words. He brushed off the twinge of regret that passed through him and began to pry her arms off. Only to find that he actually couldn't. She was holding onto him in a strong but loose grip and it seemed like nothing was going to make her let go.

"Then let me know you. Stop hiding and running from me. I won't sit around and wait for you anymore Kakashi. I'm going to stick to you and follow you everywhere until you finally see that I'm not going to let you go. You love me. Don't add to your list of regrets. Don't let me be another thing you regret because I have never regretted any instant or any thing that we've shared. I love you. I want to be with you. Surely that has to be enough." Sakura's voice was steady and determined. She didn't know where this confidence came from. All she knew was that she loved the broken man in her arms and she didn't want him to be alone anymore. She let out a small breath of relief and relaxed as she felt Kakashi slump in her arms.

Too soon. Kakashi slipped out of her arms and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief as her empty arms fell. Once again she stared at the dissipating smoke before her fists clenched and her eyes began to blaze with fury. Why that sneaky bastard! Not only was it just plain insulting, it was unbelievably rude! Sakura swiveled around with the intention of letting off her steam (or building it up) at the old training grounds before heading off in search of Kakashi when she caught sight of the centograph.

Her fury waned as she stepped closer to properly inspect it for possibly the first time in her life. The last time standing here had really had any meaning was at the funeral of the Sandaime. How right Iruka-sensei had been. Memories really do live on. Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered the names she had overheard Kakashi saying. Obito. Rin. Who were these people? Now that she thought about it, Kakashi was right. She really didn't know very much about him at all. Sure, she knew many things about him, especially from recent years. But he had always remained so mysterious about his past and she had never thought to ask. Ignoring the rain seeping into her, Sakura scanned the names engraved in the stone and suddenly her eyes fell on an Uchiha Obito. Uchiha? I wonder if Sasuke…? Sakura dismissed the thought immediately. Mentions of his clan always brought Sasuke equal amounts of grief as pride, and she wasn't sure she could deal with two moody Sharingan users today. She continued scanning the names when unexpectedly, a tear fell and mingled with the rain on her face.

Aside from the Sandaime, there were no other names engraved that she recognized. But the overwhelming sadness that engulfed her as her fingers brushed over the long list of names on the centograph made her realize just how many people willingly sacrificed themselves for Konoha and how she would be no exception. It made her grateful from the very bottom of her soul that there were only a few names that she recognized. That none of her close friends or teammates were on it. The grief Kakashi must feel. These names were faceless heroes to her, but to Kakashi, these people had been real. They had been his family, his friends, his comrades. They had been people who had changed his life and who had had their lives changed by Kakashi. Letting the rain wash away her tears, Sakura closed her eyes and wished that the pain in her heart would stop.

Kakashi watched Sakura from the branches of a wet tree as she ran her fingers over the names on the centograph. He saw the fury on her face melt to something much more somber and thoughtful, much more darkly contemplative. He watched her fingers temporarily pause, before continuing. And then he saw her freeze and turn her face to the sky. _She's crying. _He realized with a small degree of wonder. Like a moth to a flame, he materialized behind her and held her as she wept.

Sakura felt wet arms engulf her soaked body and a masked face bury itself in the crook of her neck. She didn't move. With her eyes closed, she spoke shakily. "When Sasuke left, when Naruto couldn't bring him back, my heart, I thought it would be permanently shattered. And when Naruto left too, I thought I would never feel anything again. It didn't mean anything to be alive. All of a sudden, happiness had become such an abstract concept. Training with Tsunade-shishou kept me together then, because I finally had a purpose. I would be useful by the time they came back, I wouldn't need to be protected anymore. I wouldn't be the one always left behind. But it was always a purpose tinged with doubt, what if they didn't come back? What would be the meaning of anything then? And through it all, whenever I was numb or drowning in my despair, you were there. You were my teacher, my mentor, my confidante. And you made me laugh. You trained with me to push my fears of being useless away. You made me feel that it was ok to be happy and to laugh and relax, that I didn't have to prove myself every second of the day, that I didn't have to feel guilty for having fun. You reminded me that Naruto and Sasuke would never have wanted me to suffer. Why don't you see that your teammates would never have wanted you to be like this either? They loved you Kakashi, I know they did and wherever they are now, I know they still do. If this is your second chance, don't bury it in regrets. Moving on doesn't mean betraying their memory. Let me stand beside you. Share your memories of them with me."

Kakashi held her tighter. "You're going to catch a cold." His voice was like always, a lazy drawl, but Sakura's eyes flew open as she felt masked lips press just below her jaw line. She shivered involuntarily and felt those lips, still connected to her skin, curve into a smile. "See? You're shivering already. My place or yours?"

"You pervert! Whose fault is it that we're standing in the rain? Who stands for hours on end in the rain without even thinking of bringing an umbrella!" Despite loving the feel of Kakashi's lips on her neck and the closeness of their bodies, Sakura pivoted in his arms to yell at him to his face. Her mistake. Their eyes connected and she bit her lip as her rage subsided.

"Your place." She whispered shyly.

BUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBU

_A/N: And that concludes another chapter…I have to say, it's actually getting harder and harder to write a semi-decent chapter…Were the characters too out of character? Felt like it was getting a bit too fluffy and so made a more serious chapter...coz i can't imagine any real relationship with Kakashi to be simple and fluffy only...Has this chapter been believable? Onegai! Review and let me know what you think! Thanks!_


	6. Those Damned Orange Books

MINNASANKONNICHIWAKONOSUTORIGASUKINARAHONTOUNIDOMOARIGATOUGOZAIMASHITAJAKOKOKARAMOYOROSHIKUNE!

: Those Damned Orange Books :

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Under ordinary circumstances, she would have run home at the first sight of rain. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have stayed until he was soaked to the bone and numb to the core. But this was not, by any definition, an ordinary circumstance. In fact, if any of the other villagers had peeked out their window to glance at the dark, heavily pouring sky, they might dare to venture and declare it an extraordinary circumstance. Rain in Konoha was not unusual. After all, a leaf village naturally needed regular bouts of rain to prosper. What was indeed extraordinary was the following: Jumping from rooftop to rooftop in the stormy weather on an otherwise peaceful night was a darkly clad masked man who would have blended completely into the rain were it not for his shining silver hair (which even the rain could not darken) and the object in his arms which was unrecognizable except for a wave of something unmistakably pink.

Both of them silently basked in the comfort of each other's presence as they made the short journey to Kakashi's apartment. He marveled at how perfectly she molded into the cradle of his arms, like she belonged there, like she had always been there. She closed her eyes and marveled at how safe and secure he made her feel, how gracefully he moved – quickly, stealthily and smoothly. Despite the pouring rain, their close proximity gave rise to a particular type of warmth so that neither felt the freezing cold.

They reached Kakashi's front door, but he was reluctant to set her on her feet. However, his keys were in his back pocket and both his arms were occupied with her. Kakashi stopped for a second and stared at the doorknob, pondering how he was going to go about opening his front door.

Sakura had opened her eyes upon the stopped movement to stare up at Kakashi. Following his line of sight, she realized he was staring at the doorknob to his apartment. Her cheeks turned even rosier as she realized that Kakashi must enjoy holding her as much as she enjoyed being held, considering that he wasn't putting her down, but was instead determinedly looking at the door as though it would open itself.

"I guess you're going to have to put me down if we want to get into your apartment ne?" Sakura asked ruefully.

The wet fabric of Kakashi's mask clung to his face and displayed the outline of his lips as they twisted into a wry grin. He set her down wordlessly and coolly reached into his back pocket for his keys with one hand while keeping the other arm around her waist. He couldn't help it. While once upon a time, the freezing chill seeping into his bones had been comforting, now he felt like he couldn't bear to lose her warmth. He craved the feel of her arms, intoxicated by her warmth, her softness, the accepting love that made him forget his guilt.

Sakura had let out a silent sigh as she was put on her feet, hating the loss of his warmth almost immediately. To her surprise however, he kept one arm around her even though she had been certain that he would physically avoid her as soon as their contact was broken. She smiled as he led her into his apartment, surprised as always by how neat it was. Suddenly, she felt shy and awkward. What had she been thinking! Deciding to come to his place when they were both wet and cold and there was nobody else around!

"_Opportunity!"_ Inner Sakura crowed victoriously.

"_No no no no no! This is NOT going to be anything other than shelter from the rain. I'm just going to dry off and wait until the rain stops and I'll go home. NOTHING is going to happen!"_ Sakura shook her head violently to dispel the evil thoughts of Inner Sakura.

But not before Inner Sakura got in a parting shot, a sarcastically knowing _"Sure."_

"_DAMMIT!"_

"Sakura, you can take a shower and all that in the bathroom over there." Kakashi interrupted Sakura's mental argument by handing her a towel and pointing at a door.

"Uh." Was Sakura's exceptionally intelligent response. She walked in the direction Kakashi pointed before stopping in her tracks and turning around to face Kakashi. "But what about you? Aren't you cold? Why don't you shower first? I'm sure you'll be faster than me."

Kakashi was about to reply that he didn't need a shower, or that it was ok for her to go first, but the worried look in Sakura's eyes let him know that she wouldn't be able to shower in peace if he did. So smiling gently, he agreed and walked past her into the bathroom, though not before dropping a quick kiss on her wet hair. "Dry off a little while you're waiting ok? You'll catch a cold if you stay dripping like this." Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Kakashi disappearing behind a closing door.

"_Kyaaaaa!"_ Inner Sakura was back. Only this time, Sakura was in total agreement. Kakashi's uniform had been clinging to his toned and well-built body and Sakura could not stop herself or Inner Sakura from squealing in delight. In fact, she could barely stop herself from drooling. Yes, it was just rain by her mouth. Indeed.

Once the initial headiness passed though, Sakura was once again nervous and more than a little unsure of herself. In all respects, Kakashi was a great deal more experienced than she was. What was she doing in his apartment with him? With a start, the horrible realization that if she had such a good view of his body given his wet uniform, then chance that the privilege went the other way too, began to dawn on her. Looking up, her increasing discomfort was heightened as she was greeted with the sight of a row of orange books. As much as Sakura respected Kakashi, she didn't doubt for a second that he was a pervert. An incredibly talented, honorable and sexy pervert, but a pervert nonetheless.

_Oh Kami-sama! What should I do? I want him but I don't want him! What if he thinks me choosing his place has any intent other than using his place for shelter rather than mine?_ Sakura unconsciously started to pace in an odd fashion. The orange books would loom closer and closer and she'd back away, only to pace towards the bookshelf again as her curiosity peaked.

Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom, furtively holding two orange books behind his back with one hand and a towel rubbing his hair with the other. Sakura didn't need to know that he had an orange book in the bathroom, or another tucked into the vest of his uniform. Much to his relief, he found Sakura's back turned to him as she walked towards his bookshelf. _Wait a minute, his bookshelf?_ Hmmm, he didn't know she was that fascinated by his orange books. Maybe he should've left the one in the bathroom in there. Maybe not. He wondered where he could temporarily hide the two in his hand until she was safely in the bathroom and he could replace them on his bookshelf.

Kakashi grinned in anticipation as Sakura stopped in front of the bookshelf. Aha! Now he could catch her in the act and call her a pervert like she had done to him so many times before. _Oh wait, why was she taking a step back? Uh oh, the books in his hand, the books in his hand! Where could he put them!_ Thankfully for him, Sakura didn't turn around, she merely continued backing away from the bookshelf. Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed in amused confusion, but he quickly and silently bent down and sent the books sliding rapidly across the floor and underneath the sofa.

Straightening up, Kakashi watched mesmerized as Sakura repeated her walking towards the bookshelf and then backing away routine a few more times before clearing his throat. Sakura jumped back in surprise, only to be caught in Kakashi's arms before she fell over.

"Uh! Hi! Finished already?" Sakura could have kicked herself in the head for how lame she was acting.

"Yup. Now you had better hurry up and shower before you catch a cold. You've been waiting here long enough as it is." Kakashi ushered her into the bathroom and shut the door behind him as he left, leaving her flushed and speechless.

The hot water blasting onto Sakura's skin helped alleviate her worries. At least there were no orange books in the bathroom to stress her out.

By the time Sakura was completely relaxed and stepped out of the bathroom, Kakashi, mask-less, was leaning on his side by the window holding a steaming hot mug. She noticed he had left another on the coffee table, presumably for her. Picking it up, she held it in both her hands as she pressed her back against his and stared out the window like him.

"It looks like the rain's going to stop soon." Sakura commented softly.

"Ah." Kakashi felt some disappointment that the rain looked like it was going to stop. He knew she was going to leave. What she asked next surprised them both.

"Can I stay anyway?"

She wanted to stay. He felt his heart beat just that bit faster. But then his fears crashed down on him. What did she expect they would do if she stayed? He didn't trust his control on himself when she was around. And yet he was sure that no matter what she thought, she was not ready for any progress in terms of physical intimacy yet. So he did what he thought was best for both of them.

"No. I'll walk you home once the rain stops."

Sakura felt stung. Was their relationship, if one existed, always going to be about her throwing herself at him while he rejected her and ran? Hadn't they established something before and during coming here? What was going on? She decided to try again.

"Then let's pretend the rain never stops. Then will you let me stay?"

"No." Kakashi's denial of her request came quickly.

"But I want to stay. Why won't you let me stay with you?" Sakura could feel the frustration rising.

"Because it's not appropriate Sakura."

Sakura fought back her tears and wheeled around to face his back. "It's not appropriate? Kakashi, aren't we together now? What's wrong with me staying here?"

Kakashi heard the tremble in her voice but refused to turn around and answer her. He knew he was balancing on a precarious tightrope. On one hand, he loved her and wanted her with him always. Yet on the other hand, he still had doubts that they could work as a couple, fears that he would lose control of himself and rush her into something she wasn't ready for.

"Sakura, whatever you thought, you can't stay here. Your parents will worry."

"I can call them." Sakura's perturbed frustration was starting to reach hysteria levels, as one would naturally be when pouring out one's soul to an unmoving, unemotional back. She moved so that she was directly in front of Kakashi, staring unblinkingly into his mismatched eyes. "Kakashi, do you love me?"

He nodded helplessly. How could he lie to those bright emerald eyes?

"Then let me stay. How can I stay by your side forever when you won't even let me stay with you now?"

"Do you realize what that means Sakura? Forever is a hard promise to keep. I won't let you chain yourself to that kind of promise to me when I know how painful it is to try to keep."

"You can't make that decision for me Kakashi. It's my life."

"And you don't know what kind of commitment you're making!"

"Dammit Kakashi! I'm NOT a child! I want forever with you. I can't possibly imagine a future with anyone else."

"You thought you couldn't imagine a future with anyone other than Sasuke when we first met."

"I was TWELVE! My goodness Kakashi! That was an unbelievably cheap shot!"

"But it's the truth. And I'm still that much older than you now as when you were twelve."

"So what does that mean? That you will always somehow be intellectually superior because you're older?"

"No. It means I've seen and experienced things that hopefully you never will. It means that I know "forever" can be said so easily and turn into such a burden to fulfill. It means that I want you to look around carefully and make sure you've explored your options before settling for me."

"I would never just be settling for you Kakashi! I love you. I have trusted you and relied on you ever since I was twelve years old! You're my best friend, you've never abandoned me and without you by my side, it's like all the colour disappears from my life. I know my "one" could only ever be you. I've never been surer of anything in my life."

"Feelings can change Sakura."

"So what if they do? Why do you keep thinking I'll stop loving you? That you'll turn into my burden? How can you be so certain that I'm wrong and that I won't love you more with each passing day?"

"Because I love you Sakura. Because I don't think I could bear losing another person I love. Because my heart will literally shatter if one day you wake up and realize I'm not the one. And I'm not going to commit myself to you if I think there's a chance that will happen."

"So what the deal really is, is that you don't trust me and you think I'm going to break your heart?"

"That's not it."

"It sounds like it to me."

"Fine. Take it whichever way you will." Kakashi stubbornly hung on to his rapidly deteriorating resistance.

"Then I'll take it that you're a scared selfish idiot and I've been wasting my time. I don't think I could ever be the same without you, that there would be no meaning to anything if I couldn't love you, and I throw myself at you time and time again only to be rejected to the point of humiliation because you just can't accept that I love you with every fibre of my being! Why don't you marry me then? And we can have lots of kids and you'll never have to worry about me leaving you."

"I thought about that. But there's divorce and child custody."

Sakura's retort died on her lips. He had been thinking about marriage? And children? Seriously? Suddenly, her frustration and rage floated away. He really did love her if he had been thinking so deeply and seriously about them. She wasn't just a convenient fling to him. Not that she had ever thought that.

"You thought about marrying me?" Sakura almost whispered, an unexplainable blush spreading across her cheeks.

Kakashi felt his own cheeks heat up. Gah! He had never expected to have that slip out. Before he could reply, he felt her soft palm on his cheek, caressing his face with a tenderness that was echoed in her shining eyes. _Kami-sama, those eyes_. _They'll be the death of me._

Kakashi's defenses were totally destroyed. "Stay." He whispered. Almost of their own accord, his arms reached around her waist and held her tenderly.

Bubububububububububububuubububububububububububububububububububububububububu

_A/N End Notes:_

Yay! There was a point! And I got to it! Hahahaha…more to come…because let's face it, relationships just aren't easy!


	7. Perfect First Kiss

_A/N: I just read an absolutely beautiful story and got hit with a wave (or splash really) of inspiration to continue with this story. _

_**Kyoku-chan, Black-aria, allyluv, zezura, jenn** and everyone who has reviewed - Thank you so much for all your kind words! It's very encouraging and I hope I don't disappoint you! To you and the thousand or so silent readers (don't you love the hit counter has?)- My sincerest and deepest apologies for not updating sooner – I know how annoying it is when you start reading something and then it just pauses indefinitely, but sadly, I just haven't known what to write! The best I can offer is that I will try and be more disciplined from now on so that my month long pauses don't happen again, please forgive me!_

_So, what you've all been waiting for drum roll Chapter 7! _

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**07. Perfect First Kiss**

The empty mugs had long been set on the window still and forgotten. Sakura stood perfectly still and silent in Kakashi's arms with her back pressed against his chest. They watched the rain falling outside with a content fascination, completely satisfied merely with each others presence on this wet, chilly night. Kakashi's fears had been stilled, and Sakura's question had been answered. It was as though time had frozen, that there was nothing other than a girl in love with the equally smitten man holding her.

"Kakashi." Sakura breathed his name as she turned to face him. Staring up at his handsome face with its mismatched eyes and tender expression, Sakura was simultaneously awed and struck with a feeling of playful curiosity. "How, I mean, when, did you start having feelings for me? Why me?"

Kakashi couldn't stop the sheepish grin that his lips curved into. He didn't answer for a short while as he remembered what had sparked his initial interest in the pink-haired girl. The longer he thought about, the more his mirth grew. While Sakura watched his increasingly amused expression with a certain degree of perplexity, Kakashi burst out laughing.

Sakura loved his laugh. However, the smooth deep rich laughter that reminded Sakura of expensive chocolate and honey did nothing to quell Sakura's confusion. In fact, as the laughter continued and Kakashi's arms around her loosened, her confusion began turning into irritation. After all, it bites to be laughed at and not even to know why you've suddenly been turned into the greatest joke of the century.

"What?" Kakashi's arms had gotten so slack; Sakura could fold hers in between them as the situation required.

Between panting gasps of chuckling, Kakashi managed one word - "That!"

"That?" Sakura was truly in the dark. _What the hell was he talking about? That? What that? Her cotton candy coloured hair? Her overly large forehead which was in fact perfectly sized now? For crying out loud, she was super intelligent, the brains needed large storage space! _Considering how rare it was to see Kakashi laugh so uncontrollably, Sakura didn't quite have the heart to pummel him into tiny specks of dust as she was sorely tempted to do. Still, a few more seconds of this and she knew she'd reconsider that position.

"Your crazy fiery temper!" Kakashi finally managed to calm down somewhat. Kakashi was so relaxed he came completely clean and told her the entire truth. This in hindsight might not really have been the best thing to do. Absolute truth is a lovely thing, but sometimes versions of the truth are less life-threatening.

So Kakashi continued, so lost in his memories he almost didn't realize he was speaking. Well, he realised he was speaking, but sadly, failed to consider the actual words that were being spoken. "When we were training, I'd read my books and you would go absolutely crazy and interrupt me so that I couldn't help but see you in my mind instead of the women described! At first it was annoying because you were just such a shrill little brat, I'd get a headache and shudder at the thought of kids! But then you grew up. And then of course it was impossible to miss your fantastic legs and the fact that you'd developed quite nicely!"

Sakura's jaw dropped in shock and her face started turning bright red. On one hand, the good thing for Kakashi was that half of it could be attributed to being a flattered sort of embarrassment. Unfortunately, on the other hand, the other part was complete and utter rage. If there had been pointy things lying around, they would definitely have been launched straight at Kakashi. At his face or his crotch, Sakura couldn't quite decide. There was a moment of dead silence as Kakashi realised exactly what he'd said.

Then the silence was shattered. The rage overwhelmed and drowned any flattered embarrassment. "You pervert!" Sakura screamed and reached around to find something to hurl at him. Which ended up being the mugs that had been left on the windowsill.

Kakashi's reflexes kicked in and he ended up catching the mugs by their handles with his index fingers much like you would a kunai. And then, holding up both his hands, stupidly announced with a proud grin, "SAFE!"

Sakura's rage paused. The audacity of the man. It was just unbelievable. Unbelievable! Sakura couldn't help but just stare in shock. Staring at him with so much disbelief Kakashi wondered for a moment if he had done something wrong. She smacked her forehead and began her rant. "I knew it! I just KNEW it! Every man I've ever been interested in has been retarded. Completely and utterly intellectually challenged. Here we have the great copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi. Respected and held in awe by anyone who doesn't know about his book addiction. Fairly easy on the eyes, tall enough to exude a feeling stability and security and has the ladies swooning with his charm. Trust inspiring, reliable if you've never worked with him. All lies dammit! Nothing more than a perverted, stupid, lazy super pervert! You damn pervert!"

For some reason, Kakashi found her description as a "super pervert" oddly worrying. After all, he had nothing on Jiraiya, who was undoubtedly the greatest pervert ever. He therefore proceeded to voice this thought to Sakura.

Whose prompt reply ended Kakashi's argument much like a speeding car would after hurtling into a solid concrete wall. "And whose books do you absolutely worship?"

Oh. By now Kakashi was starting to remember the attraction to both sexes of being cool and stoic. But Sakura hadn't finished yet. Not by a long shot. "Is being less of a pervert than Jiraiya really that much of an accomplishment?"

Kakashi wanted to pay attention to her words. Really, he tried his best. But there was only so much a man could do when the love of his life was worked up in a ranting fit of passionate rage that made her cheeks flush and eyes sparkle and dance. She was so beautiful. In all her moods and actions, there was a grace and beauty. Fluid and precise, intelligent, compassionate, ambitious, fiercely overprotective, Kakashi realized there was so much more to the woman in front of him than just oddly coloured hair and a perfect figure. She had a beautiful heart. And she had given it to him. Kakashi felt almost breathless at that thought even though he wasn't the one unbrokenly ranting like a maniac. _She loves me_. The knowledge felt as fresh and precious as the very first time he had realized it, as sweet as the first time he had heard it come from her lips, confirming his wildest hope and fear.

In an awe-struck trance, Kakashi almost didn't realize that he was slowly advancing on the angry girl. Sakura's words trailed off as she saw him come closer to her with an extremely unfamiliar expression on his face.

"What, what are you doing?" Sakura hated stammering, she really did. It only happened when she was very nervous, and seeing Kakashi approach her with an expression that was almost creepy in its unfamiliarity, made her very very nervous.

"This." Kakashi had now backed Sakura up against the window and once again, putting each arm on either side of her, set the mugs on the windowsill without once taking his eyes off hers.

"You like your one-word answers don't you?" Sakura smiled playfully, a bit less nervous now that she recognized his expression. Love, awe, desire and something strangely familiar that she couldn't quite place – they were so clear on his face and in his eyes. With this look, with his eyes firmly fixed on hers, she felt as though time had frozen and she had stopped breathing. Her heart was beating erratically as it hadn't quite decided whether to beat faster or to completely stop. _He's going to kiss me_. Sakura realized with some wonder.

_"Well, obviously!"_ Inner Sakura was back. Sakura was too focused on the man in front of her to give a damn what Inner Sakura was going on about. After all, she knew she was going to get kissed by the most gorgeous and mysterious man in the entire world. Who needed to think?

And so it happened. Kakashi leaning down almost painfully slowly as his eyes continued to hold hers. Sakura holding her breath, waiting for his lips to meet hers. Their lips met tenderly and their eyes fluttered shut involuntarily. This dizzying and intoxicating sensation was so unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. Sakura's knees were weak and her arms slipped around Kakashi's neck for support as his arms tightened around her. Finally, unable to breathe, Sakura pulled back reluctantly and tried to force some air into her lungs as she smiled at the equally dazed Kakashi.

An addiction was born out of that one tender kiss. It was not a first kiss for either, but it was the first time for both that a kiss held such meaning. In that moment, both knew they had found their soul mate. It was perfection. But even perfection needs practice and Sakura and Kakashi were only too happy to oblige.

_author's end notes _

_Before I get blasted on how out of character Kakashi is, I know Kakashi is usually a much more reserved and calculated character than in this chapter. But you've already seen that from previous chapters and I kind of wanted to show how relaxed and safe he feels with Sakura. And I think despite his complexity, Kakashi can be a bit of a goof, especially at this moment when Sakura's broken through all his defenses and he feels he has nothing to hide from her anymore._


End file.
